Malaysia and Singapore in a flash

I spent very little time in Malaysia and Singapore not because I didn’t like it but they were too developed and it felt like I was back in Canada. It didn’t make for as much of a cultural experience as other countries in South East Asia but I still recommend seeing it. One memorable place was Georgetown, a small town on the island of Penang in Malaysia. The town was greatly influenced by Sir James Lancaster who was one of the first Englishmen to settle the island. This is evident from the architecture in the town and is even melded into the famous Chinese “Blue Mansion” built by Cheong Fatt Tze, one of the richest Chinese men in history. The town is bustling with small cafe’s and bars and is very quiet with the exception of the nightly concerts at the Hawker Centre near my hotel. For those of you who don’t know what a Hawker Centre is, it’s basically a food court packed with inexpensive local and international delicacies. It’s a good thing they have this because Malaysia can be quite expensive compares to its cheaper counterparts like Thailand and Cambodia. Next I was off to the Perhentian Islands off the eastern coast of Malaysia which I spent relaxing and diving. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t forgiving but it was exciting to run around in the thundershowers. After some down time I was ready to tackle the hustle and bustle of Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. I was extremely impressed by the KL Bird Park which is the worlds largest open-aviary. It’s amazing because you’re walking among some of the most exotic and rare animals in the world. I knocked off the Lake Gardens, Islamic Arts Museum, Petronas Towers, and the KLCC mall in one swoop in the essence of time. It all happened so fast and next thing I knew I was in Singapore. All of sudden things were more expensive and even more like home. Paved roads, metered taxi’s, towers, usage of credit cards, etc. The next day I visited the Singapore Zoo using the train and bus system called SMRT. It couldn’t have been operated more smoothly with constant updates and air conditioning. Again I found myself among rare and exotic animals. The most impressive to me were the chimpanzees because how closely they moved and acted like humans. So I was satisfied with Malaysia and Singapore and now I’m off to Indonesia. I can’t wait to see what it has to offer.